SpaceX/Dragon mission to the International Space Station

SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft is expected to complete the CRS-1 cargo resupply mission to the International Space Station on Sunday, October 28. The spacecraft will detach from the ISS and return to earth completing its first resupply mission to the station.

Earlier this month, I was able to capture photographs of the ISS and SpaceX/Dragon flying across the night sky just before the craft docked with the station.

ISS and SpaceX/Dragon fly across the sky prior to docking.
ISS and SpaceX/Dragon fly across the sky prior to docking.
SpaceX/Dragon mission to the International Space Station
SpaceX/Dragon mission to the International Space Station

In this pair of images the SpaceX/Dragon capsule races to catch the ISS as the pair move across the western sky separated by about 20 seconds. The first image is a composite of seven images each of 30 seconds duration and show the pair rising up from the west. The second image is a single 30-s exposure that shows the separation and how Dragon trails ISS.